The Summer Design Guide to Paris

Top places for shopping, sleeping, and eating.

Judi Roaman of the accessorator.com shares insider tips to the city's top places for shopping, sleeping, and eating.

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Judi Roaman

Le Récamier, a Treasured Hotel in Paris

Renovated by top designer Jean-Louis Deniot, the divine Hôtel Récamier located on the Left Bank in Place Saint Sulpice, is stunning. It’s full of divine accessorations, from the art to the furniture. My favorite hotel in Paris, it has become the go-to for the House Beautiful editors as well!

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Judi Roaman

Pierre Hermé, Where a Macaroon Is a Jewel

My first stop in Paris is Pierre Hermé for macaroons. The colors are gorgeous, the flavors spectacular, and the taste amazing. Sometimes I can’t help myself, I have to buy a box of their incredible chocolates, too. Is there any better accessory for a hotel room than macaroons?

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Judi Roaman

Rosa Luna, Where Flowers Are Always Extra Special

One of my travel-musts is to have fresh flowers in my hotel room. Paris has the most spectacular flower shops in the world, and Rosa Luna on the Boulevard Raspail is one of my favorites. The selection is always fresh and beautiful... and the roses are beyond amazing!

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Judi Roaman

Hermès, Home to My Favorite Orange Boxes

I go gaga (and I don’t mean Lady!) when I go into the Hermès store on the Left Bank. From the leather-wrapped handrail to the mosaics on the floor (from the swimming pool of the Hotel Lutetia), it’s like dying and going to design heaven!

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Judi Roaman

Maison des Rêves, Dream Shopping for Every Accessorator!

Maison des Rêves, at 11 Rue Coëtlogon, is home to an eclectic mélange of divine and delightful accessories from all over the world. Selected with a contemporary vision, the store offers up a wonderful blend of old and new pieces. I never leave without a very special treasure to take home.

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Judi Roaman

Servant Chocolatier Feeds All of My Sugar Urges

Sugar is my favorite food group, so I shop candy stores all over the world. Paris never disappoints me with its sublime choices, but Servant on the Rue de Sèvres is my favorite. And, to my mind, this artisanal chocolatier has the best chocolate Easter bunnies in the world!

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Judi Roaman

African Vaudou Protects the Fondation Cartier!

The Fondation Cartier, designed by architect Jean Nouvel, was created as "a center of the creations and exposition of contemporary art." The current exhibition "Vodun: African Voodoo" displays 100 objects composed of ropes, bones, shells, and pottery installed by Italian design genius Enzo Mari, is brilliant and a must-see this summer.

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Judi Roaman

Paul Smith Paris, Where the Clothes are the Ultimate Accessorations

Tourrette, an empty store at 70 Rue de Grenelle since the 1980s, has been transformed into the home of the Paul Smith woman's collection. It’s a must-see because the space hasn’t been renovated from its days of abandonment. Only necessities for the store were added to the space, installed alongside the original shelving, which dates back to the 1930s when half the store sold coal and the other half sold wine.

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Judi Roaman

Barthélémy, the Ultimate French Fromagerie

Paris is home to the best fromageries in the world. My favorite, Barthélémy, is a tiny shop on the Rue de Grenelle, stacked to the ceiling with the most divine, mouth-watering selections of French cheeses. I adore the winter-only Vacherin, and am in heaven surrounded by all the choices in goat cheese. Yummy!

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Judi Roaman

Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely's Stravinsky Fountain Is a Treasure to See

Inspired by the music of Igor Stravinsky, this whimsical kinetic fountain, a collaboration between Niki de Saint Phalle and Jean Tinguely, has a life of its own. A blend of de Saint Phalle’s charming colorful objects and Tinguley’s black spidery graphic pieces all spinning and spraying water, it’s a delight to the senses.

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Judi Roaman

Othoniel's Bejeweled Accessoration Is a Metro Station

The most glittering Metro station in Paris is the Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre stop. Designed by sculptor Jean-Michel Othoniel, the Kiosque des Noctambules combines two bejeweled crowns of oversize blown glass and aluminum beads. Concealing a bench, designed for “chance encounters,” this street jewelry is divine.

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Judi Roaman

The Accessorator's Very Favorite Restaurant in Paris

Le Timbre is a très tiny, très charming restaurant near the Luxembourg Gardens. The owner Chris Wright, is from Manchester, England, but serves up brilliant French cuisine. Using only the freshest seasonal ingredients, he produces sublime food in a space that could easily be called a broom closet! It’s always busy, so call ahead.

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